Evaluating websites
Evaluate
Once you find a resource, how do you know if it is useful for the research you are conducting? You could read/watch/listen to it, but you could save time by first testing the resource against the CRAP test. The CRAP test is a set of 4 criteria you can quickly measure a resource against to see whether it is worth engaging with further.
| Criteria | Questions to ask |
|---|---|
|
Currency |
Is this the most up to date resource you can find? Is it new enough for the purposes of your topic? |
Relevance |
Is the material relevant to your topic and your arguments? |
Authority |
Who is the author? Are they a credible source? Are they qualified to talk about this subject? Are arguments backed up with evidence (such as references or citations)? |
Purpose |
What is the purpose of the resource? E.g. Is it designed to sell, entertain, vent, educate or present research? |
Internet research for assignments